The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-02
THE FIELD OF LABOR.
Jown Swinton Presents Careful Survey OF
the Situation-Powderly's Influence.

New York Mail and Express.
The portentous changes which have been go
ing on in the ..labor movement" are not yet at
an end, we from recent events. They
bear upon it organized body as political
agency, and as regulator of wages and condl-
tons of labor In all these respects it has be-
come evident that some deep and widespread in
huences at work.
The number OF strikes that have collapsed
since the beginning of this year is far greater
than that of any other recent year. The Labor
Commissioner for New York in his last official
report shows that tnree-auarters Of the strikes
of the previous year in this State were success
full. but it is a fact that the statistics gather
ed by Bradstreer from January last to
the present time show that over three
fourths OF all the strikes of the present year
have come to grief. In fact out of 100000 strik-
so far this year. not more than sc, 900 have
gained such advantage as to be deserving
of the OF We have to go oack
many years to find anything that looks IKE
precedent to this dismal state OF things.
Among the twelve or fourteen large strikes OF
this year it is hard to mention any genuine sue
cess other than the strike of the brick layers or
Chicago, who not only secured the eight-hour
rule for their trade. but established a method
of settling future disputes with their employ
And the bad luck continues up to this day.
The great strike in the cotton mills at Cohoes
great strike of the leather workers at Newark
1t has in short been among the unlucklest OF
years for strikers. whether they were COKE
makers and miners In Pennsylvania, shoe-
makers in Massachusetts. or coal and freight
handlers in New Jersey aud New York 1t IS
common notion, which is probably correct that
this bad luck is largely attributable to the new
practice of the combination for resistance by
employers The shoe manufacturers Of Massa'
chusetts combined against their wage workers;
the coke and coal corporations Of Pennsylvania
did the thing; SO did the leather manu-
facturers of Newark, and q similar practice has
been adopted in scores of other cases. as every
reader of the newspapers is aware The comDl-
nation of the Chicago master builders failed IN
the stand they took, and the com binaton of the
stove manufacturers cannot boast OF having
scored victory, but these are merely eXcep-
tional to the rule. The weight of the com blned
capital in any given industry has almost always
proved too heavy for the labor end its service.
The influence of these facts upon labor organ
izations during the present year has been
calamtous. The largest of all great organlza-
tions, the knights of Labor. have, within year.
lost much more than half its membership In
New York. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massa-
chusetts and Connecticut the falling of has
reached very nearly two-thirds and in some of
the Western States the ratio is fully as high.
These statements are based either upon official
figures published by district assemblies or upon
the votes cast at the recent elections for dele
gates to the General Assembly. The total mem
bershlp that will be there represented is likely
fall short of half a million, and though even
this is proof that the knights yet a large
d
promises of last year. when Mr. Powderly
boosted of twice the strength and when the
flood tide had TO be checked by the famous
halt" But far more serious than this alarm
ing decline are the chickering's by which the
ganization has been demoraliZed in many quar-
ters-not only in such cities Chicago, Phila-
delphia Boston and New York but in lesser
places, like Hartford, Newark Detroit. Brock
ton, Denver. ETC., we'll as outlying ''locals,"
here and there. The ranks are being weakened
and undermined by internal dissensions upon
matters pOlcv. constitution.
the trades assembly question. upon the action of
the executive board, which is but feebly dicta-
torial, upon the pay of officials, upon the
acement of strikes, upon the heavy taxes at ali
times and the slightest disbursements
in special cases. upon the handling of
the funds, upon the numerous failures to
sustain the brethren in their battles upon the
Vaccinations of the Home Club" and upon
sundrv peculiar notions often obtruded by Mr.
Powderly. Then the organization is further
weakened just by its hostile attitude
toward the most powerful trade unions. inciud-
ing the Brotherhood of Carpenters, the Cigar
makers International Union the Amalgamated s
Association of Steel and Iron-workers aud the
bodies in the rival Federation of Labor. The
recent election of national delegates in half
dozen of the chief cities of the country have
shown the effects of these dissensions and bicker
ines-so much that there is prospect of the
overthrow of the general board, the consti.
tuition and the legislation of last year at the
convention which will be held a few
weeks hence The most astounding sign of the
changes In progress has just been given by the
detection of the notorious district assembly
No. 40 of New York, from its allegiance to the
Powderly administration. This district the
membership of which has fallen off one
half since the last convention. and which has
for years been Mr.. Powderys main support.
has elected opposition delegates. dethroned the
Home Club" and struck for changes that i'm
ply a reversal of the policy now predominant at
headquarters. 1t Is not easy for those who are
outside of the organization to comprehend the
full meaning of the revolt thus carried
to success in the district referred to;
h,1f hn OF he = ~,
October next. It is possible that Powderly may
be abe TO hold o. yet another year to the Office
which gives him a salary ten times greater than
the majority of the Nom bers of the Knights of
Labor. but even this has lately become doubt
full His reliance is upon the fact that there IL
no other really popular candidate In the field. 1t
tion Of the Knights of Labor to recover the
strength which it lost and to put stop to the
chickering's and dlssensons by which it has lately
been distracted. but these ends can be gained
only by larger craftsmanship than is now dis
played by its managers
The labor organs Of the country have been
among the sufferers Dv the changes in the labor
field. Al the beginning of last year there were
over 200 of them in the United States at the
present time their snum Der is less than one hun
dred and at least one half of these are on the
verge of extinction.
By far the most striking sign of the changes
of the times in the labor field is CT the political
cast. In labor politics is all confusion, at
least in the State of New York. AT this time |
year ago the various forces of labor were rally
ing for political action on their own account as
they never rallied before. and the result in New |
York, Chicago. Milwaukee and other places |
surprised the country at the Novem- |
Der. elections. Knights of Labor, Green
hackers Trade Uniouisrs. nti-Monopo- |
lists, Grangers Land Reformers. Socialists
and whatnot Joined hands until, if
add the voters of last spring to those of last No
vember, a couple of hundred thousand of them
reached the ballot-box. The preparations for
this unprecedented display of cohesion had been
gong on for several years and has received a
powerful influence from the gigantic strides of
labor organization in 1885 and 1886. The exul-
tation of the new party over the large vote that
t poled was unbounded. and the predictions Of
The enthusiasts for the election of this fall and
or the national campaign of next year were
also IN bounded The politicians of the old par
les were alarmed; the trlmmers began to cast
heir eyes toward the anxious seat" But
'nce the beginning of the year. the changes in
abor politics. especially in the State of New
I ork, have been rapid, distract